In production, if you suspect that there might be an internal leak in the heat exchanger, how do you determine this?
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In production, if you suspect that there might be an internal leak in the heat exchanger, how do you determine this? How do you check for gaps? What are some common methods for detecting leaks? How effective is it?
Generally, a composition analysis is conducted for the materials in the tube side and the shell side. . . .
1. Online judgment can be carried out through changes in process operation parameters and changes in the water level in the water accumulation tank. 2. A leak in the reboiler can be detected by process parameters such as temperature and pressure, while a leak in the condenser can be identified by analyzing tracers in the water. 3. After stopping the steam for a short period, check whether condensate drainage at the lowest point of the steam system contains any material. 4. Parking pressure test.
For media with significant differences, it is possible to evacuate them for visual inspection, which yields good results; however, this approach is not environmentally friendly or safe
My method is very simple: 1. Turn on the drain in the tube side or shell side of the cooler to check for entrainment; this is the most straightforward approach； Another consideration is operational assessment, such as excessively high pressure or abnormal temperature ； 2. The reboiler is even simpler; apart from checking for entrainment, the issue is usually that the tower pressure or temperature cannot be brought to the required levels.
Analyze the components. For example, in the heat exchanger of the sulfuric acid conversion section, a leak can cause an increase in the SO2 concentration on the low-pressure side.
1. Judge based on changes in operating parameters. 2. Judge based on the test data. 3. Judge based on material balance. During parking for maintenance, leak detection through pressure testing is used to locate the leaks, and the methods for fixing them are mainly welding, sealing, or replacement.
To determine the extent of changes in process parameters, conduct a material analysis first, followed by a location assessment
I have encountered situations where the reboiler leaks, causing water to be carried in the material at the top of the tower; this leads to a drop in temperature at the bottom of the tower, as well as a significant increase in the steam consumption required by the reboiler